CPC Definition - Subclass F41C
This place covers:
Small arms means a firearm which is generally held with one or both hands for firing. Small arms in the sense of man-portable firearms, i.e. a weapon capable of launching a projectile by confined deflagration of a pyrotechnic propellant, such as pistols, rifles, shotguns or the like, and details and accessories that are unique to small arms
Pistols:
- Pistols including revolvers,
- Signal, starting and alarm pistols,
- Cap-firing pistols (including toy pistols),
Shoulder-fired small arms:
- Rifles, carbines, shotguns,
- Submachine guns, machine carbines,
- Machine guns Other types of small arms:
- Hidden small arms, e.g. in pencils, walking-stick guns
- Small arms specially adapted for underwater use,
- Muzzle-loading small arms; small arms with flintlock mechanism; accessories therefor
Parts of small arms:
- Butts; butt plates; stocks,
- Attachment of slings,
- Stocks or grips for pistols
- Forestocks; handgrips; hand guards
Miscellaneous attachments for small arms; accessories:
- Arrangements for mounting accessories for small arms including means for mounting of monopods, bipods, tripods or shields,
- Adaptations of small arms for firing grenades or ammunitions for special purposes, e.g. signaling, smoke producing, deterrent dispersing, marking or sensor carrying; barrel attachments therefor
- Small arms combined with thrusting or cutting weapons; bayonets; bayonet mounts,
- Attachments for wire cutting,
- Balancing or stabilizing arrangements
Means for wearing or carrying small arms
- Holsters including special attachments therefor
- Containers for carrying small arms
- Handles for carrying small arms
In addition to the classification of the small arm as whole in subclass F41C the functional details of these weapons should be classified in the relevant groups of subclass F41A. F41A is added to F41C if the functional feature is a part of invention, for example F41A 3/76, F41A 9/27, F41A 15/02, F41A 3/58, F41A 19/41, F41A9/08, F41A 5/06, F41A 11/04, F41A 23/02.
This place does not cover:
Pistols or machine guns operated without detonators | |
Pistols for shooting bolts into concrete constructions, metal walls or the like | |
Hand-held nailing tools operated by combustion pressure generated by detonation of a cartridge | |
Arrangement of guns on vessels | |
Arrangement of military equipment in aircraft | |
Functional features or details common to both small arms and ordnance, mountings therefor | |
Weapons for projecting missiles without use of explosive or combustible propellant charge |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Spades per se | |
Slaughtering pistols | |
Supports for articles placed thereon in general | |
Thrusting or cutting weapons | |
Rocket launchers adapted to be carried by a person, e.g. bazookas | |
Sighting devices | |
Armour shields | |
Shields for small arms |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Under-barrel grenade launcher | firearm for launching grenades, can be an auxiliary firearm attach to a primary firearm, usually single shot |
Machine gun | firearm with a long rifled barrel capable of sustained firing in full automatic mode, the projectiles are fed from a belt or a high capacity magazine that can be fitted or portable |
Carbine | short shoulder-fired firearm, originally for cavalry use |
Submachine gun | short, light weight machine gun, designed to fire pistol cartridges |
Rifle | shoulder-fired firearm with a long rifled barrel. Rifles can be capable for firing with magazine fed projectiles in single shot mode (repeater rifle) or in semi automatic and full automatic mode (assault rifle) |
Shotgun | smooth booth bore shoulder-fired firearm for firing shot at a relatively short distance |
In patent documents, the following words/expressions are often used as synonyms:
- "machine carbine", "submachine gun" and "automatic firearm"
- "shotgun", "scattergun" and "peppergun"
- "repeater rifle" and "repeating rifle"
This place covers:
Includes both general types of handheld (as opposed to shoulder-fired) firearms, pistols, i.e. handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, and revolvers, i.e. handgun that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. Further includes toy, signal and cap-firing pistols.
This place does not cover:
Cap firing toy pistols |
This place covers:
A cap gun is a toy gun that creates a loud sound simulating a gunshot and a puff of smoke when the trigger is pulled.
This place covers:
Handgun that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing.
This place does not cover:
Cap firing pistol with rotatable cap carrier, e.g. drum | |
Obturating or packing devices for gas leak prevention in breech mechanisms specially adapted for sealing the gap between the forward end of the cartridge chamber and the rearward end of the barrel, e.g. sealing devices for revolvers or revolver-type guns | |
Feeding of unbelted ammunition using a revolving drum magazine in revolver-type guns other than revolvers | |
Extractors or ejectors for revolver-type guns |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Cocking mechanisms for revolvers | |
Double action mechanisms for revolvers |
This place covers:
Illustrative example of subject matter classified in this group.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Shoulder-fired breakdown guns | |
Articulated or collapsible guns |
This place covers:
Long guns, normally supported against the shoulder for recoil absorbsion during the firing.
This place covers:
The primary handgrip under the receiver, including the trigger arrangement is used for the reciprocation (pumping).
Illustrative example of subject matter classified in this group.
This place covers:
Includes handgrips for handguns and handgrips/pistol grip for shoulder-fired small arms, i.e. the grip associated with the trigger system.
Includes stocks for shoulder-fired small arms, in particular: forestocks, i.e. the part which is held by the forward hand (not the shooting hand) for support during shooting and buttstocks, i.e. the part held against the shoulder during shooting.
Includes butts, i.e. the proximal ends of the buttstocks, the part actually contacting the shoulder.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Handles for carrying small arms | |
Weapon manufacture involving plastics |
This place covers:
The attachement for attaching the sling, integral or fixed to the stock, forestock of handgrip.
This place does not cover:
Slings for carrying long guns |
This place covers:
Only the stock is folding, telescopic or collapsible, no functional parts of the firarm is folding or articulated.
This place does not cover:
Hinge frame revolvers | |
Breakdown guns | |
Articulated or collapsible guns |
This place covers:
Stocks with integrated recoil buffers only in the stock.
This place does not cover:
Bolt buffers or recuperators acting on the bolt but partially entering the stock |
This place covers:
Also includes pistolgrips associated with the trigger group of a shoulder-fired small arm
This place does not cover:
Auxiliary stocks for stabilising, or for transforming pistols, e.g. revolvers, into shoulder-fired guns |
This place does not cover:
Adaptations of guns to both right and left hand use |
This place covers:
Also pistol grips or magazine extensions having space for the storage of objects.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Holders for extra ammunition mounted on the outside of the gun |
This place covers:
Residual group for attachments, accessories and details especially adapted for small arms, but not covered in F41C 3/00 - F41C 23/22.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Accessories or details for firearms, common to both small arms and ordnance | |
Devices to attach tubular or beam projecting sighting or aiming devices (telescopes, night sights, reflex sights, flashlights, etc) on handguns: | |
Camera guns or guns with a camera attached; cameras for guns |
This place does not cover:
Stabilising devices worn on the body |
This place covers:
Includes shooting harnesses for supporting the gun during shooting.
Includes slings, holsters and other means for wearing or carrying small arms on the body of the shooter when not in use.
Includes stationary, closed containers for transport or storage of small arms.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Travelling or camp equipment; sacks or packs carried on the body | |
Storing or displaying firearms |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Balancing arrangements on the gun itself | |
Shooting stands, e.g. for firing hunting rifles from trees |
This place covers:
Includes carrying means for firearms including long guns or parts thereof (e.g. mortar parts) worn on the human or animal body in a non-shooting position in so far as not covered by F41C 33/003 - F41C 33/008
This place does not cover:
Magazine holstes, magazine pouches |
This place covers:
Means for attaching holsters to a belt or webbing, i.e. intermediate parts between actual holster and belt/webbing
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
For carrying articles on the body in general |
This place does not cover:
Holsters | |
Rests for supporting small arms in non-shooting position |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Travelling or camp equipment; sacks or packs carried on the body | |
Storing or displaying firearms |